October 30, 2012

Just a friendly reminder that Guro Scott Brennan will be teaching a free 2 hour seminar/ overview on
Filipino knife fighting on November 5, 2012 at the NW Jiu Jitsu Academy. This seminar will cover the art of Lucaylucay
Kali knife work from the basics of knife choices, grips, stances,
footwork, power cuts and thrusts in both standard and ice pick grip into
pass and cut and check and cut drills, self-defense templates against
the various angles of attack, flow drills, the Lucaylucay ‘Dos Manos’
family style of knife work, and ‘time permitting’ empty hands against
the knife. All topics are taught with a emphasis on modern, functional
self-defense.
Guro Scott is the owner of Brennan’s Blades, maker
of custom aluminum training knives and other FMA related tools and he
will be bringing a full selection of trainers and other weapons and
items for sale. So make sure to bring some extra cash!

Guro Scott has been training in, researching and teaching the FMA for
over 25 years. He is a certified Kali/ Jeet Kune Do instructor under
the late Marangal Guro Teodoro Lucaylucay. He is an associate instructor
in Hufana Traditional Arnis and a frequent guest instructor at the
World Filipino Martial Arts seminars. He is a Sergeant with San Juan
County Sheriff and is the Head Defensive Tactics Instructor, teaching
empty hands, impact weapons, chemical weapons and defensive knife. He is
also the Head Firearms Instructor. He is the ‘star’ of the Panther
Productions 3 tape/DVD
series on The Balisong and Filipino Knife Fighting. He regularly
teaches FMA, self-defense and law enforcement related seminars around
Washington State, the U.S. and in Europe.

October 29, 2012

Here is the video shot from NWJJA's very own Mike Leary at the 5 Brothers Camp of Prof. Carlos Machado receiving his red-black, coral, belt from all four of his brothers; Jean Jacques, Roger, Rigan, and John Machado. What an emotional, amazing experience that I am so grateful Mike caught on video (owe you a beer or two brother). This was a once in a lifetime experience that most of us will never be part of again!

I also uploaded this video to the post I made yesterday with the official announcement and press release!

October 28, 2012

On October 28,
2012, the final day of the 5 Brothers Machado Camp, just as the stellar event
was drawing to a close on a beautiful Texas day, Prof. Jean Jacques called the
attention of all attendee’s and made a final address that came as a surprise to
even the closest cadre to the Machado family!Commenting on how all the brothers looked up to their oldest brother,
Carlos, throughout their life as a leader both on the mat and off Jean Jacques
began fidgeting with his coral belt.With all the brothers Roger, John, and Rigan as witness along with well
over 90 Machado students and friends, Jean Jacques untied his coral belt and
asked Carlos to come forward and accept his official promotion to coral belt (9th
degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu represented by a black and red belt),
where fellow coral belt Rigan Machado placed it around Carlos’ waist.Technically
Carlos is the senior ranking brother (promoted to 8th degree in 2005), but he has never subscribed to the IBJJF
ranking structure so therefore this promotion was presented by all of the
Machado brothers as a recognition of Carlos’ accomplishments within the art of
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.Professor Carlos
Machado has been on the mat since he was 4 years old and represents over four
decades of learning, teaching, competing, and sharing in the art of Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu including authoring his first book “Putting the Pieces
Together.”With humbleness cracking his
voice and tears in his eyes, Prof. Carlos had this to share:

“This belt simply
marks the start of a new journey.I want
to thank my brothers, my wife, god, and every student I have ever shared the
mat with.This is possible only through the
hard work and dedication of all my students and training partners over the
years.”

The family motto
“Leave your ego at the door” is epitomized by Carlos Machado who is even more
passionate about spreading the art of BJJ to the masses then he has ever
been!Those wanting more information on seminars, training, or to register for
next year’s camp please visit RCJ Machado Pro!

It was an absolute honor to be part of this ceremony! A once in a lifetime opportunity that I would have missed if not for coming to the Machado Camp. The emotion, energy, love, and laughter shared in the presence of the Machado family is second only to my blood! Thank you for allowing all of us the opportunity to share in your moment of honor and respect.

October 27, 2012

Seriously I wanted to sit down and write out a more thorough overview of today's events, but I am absolutely beat guys! What can I put into words anyways?? The biggest camp to date (we are just short of 100!!!!!!!!!!!!), is arguably the best camp as of yet, and we topped it off with an AMAZING meal at Fogo De Chao! I have been talking to folks from all corners of North America (literally from California, Leon Mexico, British Columbia Canada, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, all over Texas, and the great state of Washington) and have yet to hear a single complaint.

Rigan spent nearly 4 hours covering a number of open guard sweeps and some great movement drills to accompany the bevy of sweeps. His control of a room and insight into technique holds me in awe every time I share the mat with Rigan! For the past 6 years I have been blessed with getting on the mat to train under Rigan in some format or another, and his quick drilling method is genius.

Black belt level drawing!

Rigan then transitioned to working some guard passing and again he coupled the passes and attacks along with drills that built upon one another all day long. The strategic principle I took away from this session was simple yet profound: attack immediately after passing! Of course settle into position but Rigan's overall point was to attack as your opponent is still focusing on the pass. Great stuff!

Carlos took a moment to promote a handful of grapplers (sorry guys I do not know the list of names) but as always there was an overwhelming feeling of family. From Prof. Carlos making an effort to remember every one's name, to sharing a great Brazilian meal meeting our fellow Machado brethren, when someone trains with any of the brothers you cannot help but feel as if you have been part of the family for years. It is one of the most appealing qualities that makes Machado students some of the most loyal there are.

The afternoon session was a bit more laid back and zen like with Prof. Roger leading the group of 90+ through a simple warm up that foreshadowed the fundamental movements we were to be using the rest of the day. Properly and intelligently pulling guard and working from the head to head position was the overall theme I would have to say. Then as if we were not blown away enough, Roger taught a few of his own personal favorite attacks to the turtle, as well as two reversals to the reverse scarf hold half guard. Great stuff!!

Rest easy mi amigo's as tomorrow we spend the morning with the Wizard himself... Jean Jacques! I want to thank my partner Rick "The Mauler" Monce and everyone involved with the camp. The energy and good vibes created with so many like minded individuals who get together to share one common goal, to train and use BJJ as a vehicle to better our bodies, minds, and spirit, cannot be described in words!

October 26, 2012

What a whirl... sleep deprivation, caffeine, alcohol, more sleep deprivation, locked luggage, and some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced (avoid flying American Airlines), yet the Pac NW crew arrived in Dallas, TX. in full force for the 5 Brothers Machado Camp! Unfortunately due to American Airlines terrible service we missed Carlos Machado's opening blitzkrieg on his latest developments on the hook sweep, arguably the Machado families bread and butter. But from the murmurings amongst the crowd we missed some golden nuggets destined to change sweeps games across the board.

Pac NW Crew with Carlos and John!

Held at Carlos' spacious Farmers Branch RCJ Headquarters, 2012's camp saw well over 50 students on the mat for Prof. John Machado's afternoon session on follow ups if the hook sweep fails. Common troubleshooting and finishes from a failed sweep gave practitioners a chance to work Carlos' hook sweep and the backup plan if for some reason the sweep fails. Ending the session with a great detailed look at the rolling knee bar!

This type of piggybacking and congruency is exactly what I recall from the 2008 camp held in South Carolina. The brothers all bring individual games and styles for sure, but when together their is a certain synergy that I have not felt with other coaches representing over 150 years of collaborative Brazilian Jiu Jitsu idea's and strategies.

Stories of childhood rivalries bounce off of walls adorned with pictures representing all aspects of the Machado brothers involvement in the art of BJJ: Rigan competing in the 2nd ever Pan Am's; Carlos' gold medals from the US Open and Pan Am's of yesteryear; and clippings documenting the history of BJJ in America.

All in all if you are not here you seriously need to ask yourself why!? Tomorrow we hit the mats at 9am with Rigan teaching some 50-50 guard counters and technique both gi and no gi. Then after a short lunch break (provided by My Fit Foods!!!) we have Roger Machado sharing his zen like approach from 2-5pm.

Good luck to my brothers and sisters fighting in the Revolution Grappling Tournament tomorrow! Go out play your game, keep your focus, be mindful of your breathing, but most of all... have fun!! Kick ass Spider, Justin, Joseph (sorry, do not know either of your last names), Bob, Scrappy Phil, my brother from another mother Special K, Ivan, and whomever I have left off the list. Apologies most of us senior students and instructors are at the Machado camp, but our spirit fights alongside you.

October 24, 2012

It is with a sad heart that I write this post as the Journal of Asian Martial Arts has been officially retired, and its final opus comes in the form of the book "Asian Martial Arts: Constructive Thoughts & Practical Applications." "Asian Martial Arts: Constructive Thoughts & Practical Applications."
Edited by Michael DeMarco this text is chock full of co-authors including my friend Joy Chaudhuri, martial uncle Ilya Profatilov writing on Mantis, my past teacher Yang "Tony" Shu Ton offering his insight into Bajiquan a wonderful martial art I studied for many years. I am grateful to be featured in the same book as my mentors and friends. To present an article worthy of publication in this last representation of JAMA is a humbling honor!

October 22, 2012

Guro Scott Brennan will be teaching a free 2 hour seminar/ overview on
Filipino knife fighting on November 5, 2012 at the NW Jiu Jitsu Academy. This seminar will cover the art of Lucaylucay
Kali knife work from the basics of knife choices, grips, stances,
footwork, power cuts and thrusts in both standard and ice pick grip into
pass and cut and check and cut drills, self-defense templates against
the various angles of attack, flow drills, the Lucaylucay ‘Dos Manos’
family style of knife work, and ‘time permitting’ empty hands against
the knife. All topics are taught with a emphasis on modern, functional
self-defense.
Guro Scott is the owner of Brennan’s Blades, maker
of custom aluminum training knives and other FMA related tools and he
will be bringing a full selection of trainers and other weapons and
items for sale. So make sure to bring some extra cash!

Guro Scott has been training in, researching and teaching the FMA for
over 25 years. He is a certified Kali/ Jeet Kune Do instructor under
the late Marangal Guro Teodoro Lucaylucay. He is an associate instructor
in Hufana Traditional Arnis and a frequent guest instructor at the
World Filipino Martial Arts seminars. He is a Sergeant with San Juan
County Sheriff and is the Head Defensive Tactics Instructor, teaching
empty hands, impact weapons, chemical weapons and defensive knife. He is
also the Head Firearms Instructor. He is the ‘star’ of the Panther
Productions 3 tape/DVD
series on The Balisong and Filipino Knife Fighting. He regularly
teaches FMA, self-defense and law enforcement related seminars around
Washington State, the U.S. and in Europe.

October 17, 2012

Jean Jacques Machado is renown for his wizard like ability to move and transition seemingly leaving his opponents completely unaware of what just happened! Here is a rare shot of a Machado brother in Gracie magazine where they give props to JJM for his omoplata work on Ricardo Arona in ADCC 2001 (where he won most technical fighter BTW).

This is your last call for the opportunity of a lifetime, come to Dallas, TX. to train with all 5 of the Machado clan in just over a week! Don't miss this chance to train with each brother as they bring their own specific games to the camp to share to the students of the next generation of grapplers and fighters!

October 15, 2012

Guy Sako over at Defense Soap has busted out onto the grappling-hygiene market with a great new product called Super Shield. Coupled with Defense soaps bar soap, and shower gel, Super Shield gives the competitive grappler (really any athlete) a triple attack on the funky munky's such as impetigo, ring worm, MRSA, etc. All nasty little things that can keep you off the mat, and cause serious illness!

Bar soap was the first product they offered in the Defense line and it remains the backbone of the company. A great lather along with a naturally clean scent has made Defense the go to bar soap for after training scrub downs! 100% natural with no perfumes, dyes, nor additives this soap will appeal not only to combat athletes but really anyone who is in contact with others or is wearing athletic gear! Antimicrobial essential oils get right to work attacking the flora and fauna you DON'T want on your epidermis.

So far several have copied the brilliant idea of bar soap, but once again Defense leads the industry with their shower gel version of the Defense bar soap! For those fighters who prefer a more manly loofah over the standard wash cloth, shower gel is the preferred method of application with such a shower tool. Guy did a great job ensuring your skin does not dry out and get that "stretched" feeling often associated with all natural soaps, and again the gel lathers up quickly and easily.

Overall both the shower gel and bar soap seem to have long ass longevity as I have had them for a couple months and am just now running out! And though their are way TOO many variables and factors, I have not had a single questionable skin issues since using any of Defenses' products, including their newest offering... Super Shield.

Imagine washing your gi's, rash guards, spats, underwear, and belt with a detergent that would protect your skin against MRSA, Impetigo, Herpes, etc.? $25 gets you over 480 loads, and keep in mind one treatment lasts 30 days minimum! Completely hypoallergenic, free of dyes and perfumes so folks with sensitive skin need not worry. Stain protection, odor defense... this is the Roger Gracie of laundry detergents!

Overall you cannot go wrong with Defense Soap, which should be required equipment just like a gi or mouth guard! Guy and his crew are located in Lakewood, Ohio which is the heartland of good people and companies. In this day and age of more and more of everything being made in Pakistan or Taiwan, Guy is keeping it on the home front so make sure you support your local companies!

October 14, 2012

Today marked a monumental event in the history of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, with the first ever Metamoris Invitational taking place at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University in San Diego, CA. Sticking to tradition the event was running on Brazilian time with about an hour late start time. But as soon as the feed went live it was nothing but action!

I was skeptical about the energy level that the fighters were going to bring to Metamoris, but every single fight proved me wrong. Buchecha and Roger Gracie was probably the slowest paced fight and that was still an exciting match down to the end minute. Great sportsmanship and humbleness (sole exception being Galvao! Damn... I am tired of his bitching!) across the board and dare I say this was the single most exciting grappling event in some time, and that comes on a weekend where we saw the ADCC North American trials in the same city as Metamoris, as well as a jits fueled UFC card from Brazil last night!

Caio Terra vs. Jeff Glover:
What a way to start the night off, Terra-Glover II... and to be sure these guys did not disappoint, with Caio answering Glover's clowning in good style and then the two launched into a crazy open guard clinic where both athletes worked at a relentless pace, yet with a relaxed tempo, where stamina played the key role.
Glover played an interesting game putting himself in bad positions and even allowing Caio to pass his guard which proves deadly, with Terra gaining side control on the "Pipe Layer" and sealing the deal with a solid arm bar at the 13 minute mark.
I loved Glover's attitude of coming out and playing openly, but I think he should have been a bit tighter. You cannot allow Caio Terra to gain the upper hand on you regardless of the rule set.

Rafael Lovato Jr vs. Kayron Gracie:
Gripping up right away we see RLJ attempting his signature kouchi gari on Kayron to no avail, encouraging Kayron to pull guard, where a few seconds later he nails the sweep! This was a fast paced back and forth jitsfest, which saw several positional changes where we saw RLJ working his infamous pressure passing game, which Kayron maintained and controlled up until a lapse in focus enabled RLJ to pass and take the back of Kayron. Kayron escapes the arm bar and we start back up where RLJ nails a gorgeous Tomonage. Coming into mount RLJ quickly secures Kayron's arm and rolls him onto his side where he finishes an awesome kimura.
Another great fight with the second submission of the night, with an amazing pace and rhythm.

Kron Gacie vs. Otavio Souza:
Kron comes out and pulls closed guard immediately working his game perfectly, which turns into an intense grip fight. Kron's guard work both open and closed as well as his re-guarding skills are off the hook! After a strange re-start Souza pulls guard only to be reversed by Kron. Kron gets the sweep comes into knee ride and nails an amazingly fast arm bar to finish Souze with just a few minutes left.

Dean Lister vs. Xande Ribiero:
The only no gi match of the event also turned out to be the first draw of the evening. A bit more hesitancy in this fight on both fighters part, Lister pulls open guard but Xande easily deals with it. this match becomes a kimura grip fight game via Xande that culminates into a great arm bar attempt that Lister barely escapes.

Ryron Gracie vs. Andre Galvao:
A great guard game by Gracie frustrated Galvao to the point he had all sorts of things after the 20 minute fight was declared a draw. Gracie's hip movement was excellent but he seemed a bit reluctant to attack. That said Galvao was unable to finish even after attaining side control.

Buchecha vs. Roger Gracie:
The most anticipated fight in years did not disappoint prophetically ending in a draw that saw some great guard work by Buchecha that really slowed down Roger's passing abilities. Fighting until the last minute Buchecha even goes for an arm bar in the middle of a scramble and damn near nails it, but Roger squeaks through.

October 12, 2012

I am proud to be sponsored by Blake Kerr and his killer krew in OKC with 1914 Kimono's! And here is their first television commercial featuring the one and only Rafael Lovato Jr. who will be fighting this weekend in the Metamoris event! Hands down the best gi's on the market!

October 11, 2012

Thanks to David Meyer for turning me onto this great article he wrote for Black Belt magazine earlier this year. David and John Will are long time friends and training partners, both of which are members of BJJ's Dirty Dozen (first twelve non-Brazilian BJJ black belts), and both being disciples of the Machado brothers. Here they offer five sneaky arm bar setups.

Enjoy!

"If you grapple, you know that when you’re battling an opponent with a
similar skill level, maneuvering him into a finishing hold such as the
cross-body armbar can be difficult because he knows what you know —
namely, that he should keep his arms in tight to avoid getting caught.How then can you advance to the next level and teach yourself to trap
a skilled opponent and finish him on the ground? There are three ways:

Be a better grappler. This means you must know more
than he knows, catch and hold him in positions that are difficult to
escape from, force him to make mistakes and capitalize on those
mistakes. To make all this happen, keep training. There’s no easy or
fast way to jump to this level.

Tire him out. Even when someone knows the attack
you’re attempting, being tired or weary can make it hard for him to fend
you off. You can facilitate his fatigue by fine-tuning your fitness
level — so he gets tired before you do — and by being smart about how
you expend your energy, resting in good positions and holding him in
positions that tire him out. Again, there’s no easy way to make this
happen.

Use sneaky setups. This strategy is one you can learn and practice right now, and it will have an immediate effect on your grappling game. That’s because your opponent can’t be prepared to foil your attack if he doesn’t see it coming.

To start you on that third path to success, this article will present five sneaky Brazilian jiu-jitsu
techniques to set up arm bars: one from the guard, one from the
side-control position, two from the back, and one while passing the
guard. Master each BJJ technique — sourced from Rigan Machado, Jean Jacques Machado and John B. Will — and you’ll be ready to devise plenty of others on your own."

Click here to be linked to the remainder of the article! And then make sure to head over to RCJ Machado to sign up for the 5 Brothers Camp starting two weeks from now! Last call on registration for the discounted rate. You will have the opportunity to learn these five setups plus about 500 more with all five of the brothers Machado! 15+ hours of mat time with the founding family of BJJ!

October 10, 2012

Everyone is talking about the Metamoris event this weekend that brings together some of the top grapplers in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and it seems damn near required to put up some predictions if you run a blog. As per usual I am late to the party, but here goes my short list of predictions for Sundays big superfight. I am hoping to watch it live!

Important factors to remember:

20 minute matches

No Points

All Gi

Submission Only

Kayron Gracie vs. Rafale Lovato Jr.

This has potential to be the sleeper hit of the event IMHO. Kayron has a wicked open guard that will match up well against RLJ's pressure passing style and system. Kayron does not have the competition experience that Lovato brings to the mat, but I am not convinced that an extensive resume at IBJJF events will pay dividends for anyone at Metamoris. No points changes the attitude and strategy of the match, where positional dominance means nothing without a tap!

I see RLJ with a side control arm attack!

Jeff Glover vs. Caio Terra

Man a lot of murmurings about this re-match where Caio has promised "not to fall for any of Glovers tricks" this time (not sure exactly what that means). These guys are 120% when points are being counted, I CANNOT wait to see a submission only, no points, gi match with these two. I cannot guarantee anything but I can promise this...roid free excitement shall ensue!
My personal opinion is that Glover is much more technical with the gi, though he has not been fighting a lot with the gi over the past years. Terra is slick though and will be sure to bring some crazy sweeps and movement to the fight.

I see Glover nailing a choke (hmmmm, shall we say a "Slarce"!?) in a mad transitional scramble early in the match.
The first meeting of these two:

Dean Lister vs. Xande Ribeiro:

Man I tell you no one, NO ONE, is giving the Boogey Man much credit in his match up against Xande who is fresh off of a win at the World Masters last weekend. And that aspect right there just might be the deciding factor; how brushed up is Lister fighting in the gi? We all know his prowess in no gi cannot be questioned, and keep in mind he trained through brown belt with Fabio Santos eventually earning black belt under one of Santos' senior black belts. But Xande is a competing machine who is well versed in the slower aspect of gi grappling.

Those factors aside I think Dean is going to pull out the submission as he is renown for his constant attacking style and crazy submissions that most of us have never seen (google Dean Lister Kimura variations and tell me how many you end up with!?!?).

SO I WAS JUST INFORMED THIS IS THE ONLY NO GI MATCH, AND HEEL HOOKS ARE ALLOWED. NONE THE LESS MY PREDICTION STAYS THE SAME!

I say if this fights goes into the 15+ minute mark Xande will eek out a choke, but I can see Boogey Man nailing a kimura or Americana early (Xande will be savvy to the foot lock game I think).

Kron Gracie vs. Otavio Sousa:

Kron is the epitome of why we watch grappling; unpredictable, fast, offensive almost to the point of reckless abandon, Kron is a true warrior who is game! Then you have Sousa... who is one of the most promising fighters to come along in BJJ in quite some time, and much like Kron is game to fight anyone anywhere it seems.
This too will be a rematch of sorts as Kron has beat Sousa at brown belt 4 years ago with an awesome knee bar, and just this year Kron lost to Sousa at the Pan Am's due to an injury! So this match up proves to be enticing as both of these guys have some unfinished business with the other.

Kron's strength lies in his back to basics approach via his father Rickson, where Kron's strongest position is guard. Sousa is no fool and will do his best to avoid the closed guard of Kron for sure, hoping to work his wicked back mount game. One word in the first sentence of this paragraph is the deal breaker here... Rickson. He is surely going to be cornering his son and his vision on the mat and knowledge gives Kron an uncanny advantage!

Hate to puss out on everyone but I think this is the most evenly matched fight on the card and I must make my predictions with caveat's.... if Kron closes his guard then I see a triangle or arm bar finish. If Sousa stays out of Kron's guard and takes the back, I really do not see Kron getting out... therefore Sousa by bow and arrow!

Andre Galvao vs. Ryron Gracie:

Here is another match that will be similar to the Lovato / Gracie fight in that Ryron is limited in his competition experience, but the handful of tournaments he has done are no point / submission only events! So while Galvao certainly has the advantage in terms of experience in IBJJF events, the format of Metamoris actually favors Ryron here.

I have little info to go off of regarding Ryron as there is not much online of him fighting. I will say this... if his style/attitude is anything like his brother Rener's then I think he just might pull out the upset here! Galvao often plays a very safe (dare one say boring) fight, so I am not sure how he will stack up against someone always moving and flowing like Ryron. Another factor is how bulked up Galvao shows up! I have seen him put on a lot of mass over the past few years. Not sure if it is natural or not, but it could slow someone down significantly in a submission only match.

Going out on a limb here and saying Gracie with a choke!

Roger Gracie vs. Buchecha:

Here we are, the main event. Folks are billing this as the best of the best fighting the best of the best. I think it is a big early to be equating this to the Thrilla' in Manila, but you cannot deny that you are all curious!

Roger Gracie has been a dominant force in BJJ winning an unprecedented 14 times through his career, beating the likes of everyone from Marcelo Garcia (yeah, that one), to Romual Barral; from Xande to Telles! Oh... and did I mention he finishes something like 90% of his opponents via submission such as the Ezikiel from mount.

Enter new and upcoming champ Buchecha who has taken the BJJ world by storm this year winning EVERYTHING he has entered with impressive fashion. Strong as an Ox! Fast as lightning! Buchecha will bring the fire and surely will not disappoint as a headliner.

Roger has solid basic's but he has not been competing this year in BJJ, focusing much on his MMA career which looked a bit shaky last time out due to a massive weight cut. Experience wise Roger has the upper hand. Buchecha has the lungs and stamina of a workhorse though and can easily fight for 20 minutes or more. I feel the longer the fight goes the more it will favor Buchecha.

Buchecha makes one mistake though and allows Roger to mount or even back mount and it is done. It is paramount that he keeps a tight, focused game. I have not seen anyone really attack Roger's leg's through the years so I am curious as to how good his defense is.

This will end with Roger's arm in the air with an arm bar submission.

Unfortunately our very own Porfessor Jean Jacques Machado will not be fighting as scheduled due to his opponent Nelson Monteiro being recovering from a car accident. We certainly wish Prof Nelson the speediest of recoveries!

Let the betting begin, and by all means let me know if you agree or not by leaving a comment!
No matter then outcome this is a breakthrough event for professional BJJ! Top fighters getting compensated to fight in a format that will leave fan's breathless! No controversial ref decisions. No boring stall's 5 minutes in because someon has 2 points more. No counting advantages. Just plain ol' Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

October 8, 2012

Please take a moment to jump onto Amazon.com sometime in the 24 hours that make up Monday October 8th and order Professor Carlos Machado's first book, "Putting the Pieces Together." If we get the extended Machado family the world throughout to order a copy within these 24 hours we will get Prof. Machado to the top of the best seller list!

This is a unique book in that it is full of quotes, parables, and insights into the much deeper lessons learned while we train on the mat. An intellectual approach to Arte Suave which lends a philosophical lean on a most physical endeavor.

Required reading if you are a fan of what the Machado family brings to the table over the past three decades, order your copy today and make sure to get some stocking stuffers for those wrestlers in your life, as the holidays are literally right around the corner!

Oh, and while you are at it make sure to register for the 5 Brothers Camp coming up in just a few weeks down in Dallas, TX. where you will not only be on the mat with Carlos, but also his brothers John, Roger, Rigan, and Jean Jacques! Preregistration ends soon so sign up now to save $$!

October 6, 2012

Check out the latest issue of "Kung Fu TaiChi" magazine that just hit the stands. The Nov/Dec issue features an article on Six Harmonies Mantis fighting theory by yours truly, along with an article by an old friend from New Mexico, Frank Rivera! Frank is the most experienced CMA practitioner in the Southwest, and if you are ever in Albuquerque make sure to look him up.

Make sure to take a close look at the photo layout... why yes those are the one and only 1914 BJJ gi bottoms!

As always I welcome feedback!

Much thanks to my student and friend Shadow for his help. As well as thank to Brian at NWJJA for letting me use the dojo to shoot in.

October 5, 2012

Here we are a week after Rener Gracie blew into town offering several seminars, and I still have a smile from ear to ear! With an enthusiasm that is infectious, a permanent smile, and an uncanny attention to detail for someone so young (28), Rener presented two of the best hours I have experienced training ever.

First Impression:
I arrived at Interlake HS in Bellevue, WA. quite a bit early due to the lack of perceived traffic. A huge high school where host Craig Hanuami got us access to the schools gym and mats. I met Rener as we strolled into the gym, and quickly he took lead in getting the mats set up directing traffic and laying down tape. This speaks volumes to the humble nature and attitude that has been instilled from Rorion and Helio, Rener's father and grandfather respectively.

Back Mount Mastery:

"Choke him like you care!"

I attended Friday nights seminar where the theme was "Back Mount Mastery" and over the course of two hours Rener led the group of 55+ though a grappling cornucopia of applied theory, control, grips, all the way to submission. We had everything from white belt begginners to black belt instructors in attendance, and even Rener mentioned focusing on one aspect of the seminar, not trying to take it all in. And don't get me wrong there was a lot of information, but the presentation was such that you remembered it precisely.

More so then techniques, it was really the WAY in which Rener taught that really captivated me. A loud, clear voice with carefully chosen words and analogies that were dead accurate and easy to understand, Rener would demonstrate a move several times changing his angle each time to assist the students in seeing all aspects of the position. When the students broke to drill the moves Rener would slide through the room offering pointers and answering questions. When something was obviously awry with the masses Rener would once again call everyone to line up as he addressed the issue.

The Gracie's have a reputation for being very focused on the fundamentals and the mastery of the basics. I would say that Rener lived up to the reputation in the best way, as nothing we covered required incredible flexability, strength, nor experience. For nearly the first half of the seminar we spent solely discussing control. Without position, you will never achieve a submission! Every detail from proper grip (Rener, like pretty much everyone out there that is good, prefers the seat belt grip) to hip positioning, to where you put your foot on the mat and in which direction your toes should be pointing! And with the one or two movements that did require a bit more flexibility Rener offered options and variations.

The Art of Sharing:
Even though he is confident in his techniques and abilities Rener encouraged us to meld the info he was sharing into our own game. His sharing attitude is probably the best attribute of all, because the desire to make everyones Jiu Jitsu better is undeniable with him. Just being in the same gym with him you walk away feeling vibrant from the energy of someone SO passionate and humble. He is most likely one of the luckiest guys on the planet and he is appreciative of every second, and one cannot deny his sincerity. Encouraging us to teach our friends because when we teach something it forces us to understand, and apply it at a deeper level Rener is an inspiration to both student and coach alike.

As most of you know I never review and reveal the techniques of a seminar for a couple of reasons... not fair to those who paid their hard earned money to learn them, and for me a seminar is about the experience and transmission of info from teacher to student. WHAT one learns is usually what most people want to latch onto, but in reality it is the experience as a whole that truly leaves an impression on ones being. That said Rener has some AMAZING moves and techniques regarding back mount! I can only assume all of his "mastery" themed seminars are the same. In all honesty I feel like I could take the same seminar 10 times over and come away with a different attribute each time. In the end I encourage you to do the same.

Big thanks to Rener Gracie, and Craig Hanuami for setting up the seminar! As well to Oscar the best training partner out there!

October 1, 2012

GREAT NEWS!!! Prof. Carlos Machado's first
book will be released on Amazon.com Monday October 8th!!!!! It is our
goal to help Prof. Machado's book make Amazon.com's BEST SELLER List!
Which means the book needs to be in the top 15 books sold within a 24 hour period!

So we am asking all of Prof. Machado's friends
and students to help him reach this goal by purchasing his book on Monday Oct.
8th (one week from today)! This book has been long awaited by so many people! We hope you
enjoy Prof. Machado's words!